The following is the April 1 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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Stay in-the-know on all things Yolo! Weekly email with stories and insights from Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy.
Hey, it’s Daniel! Let’s dive in.
One of the best things about being a reporter is how varied the work can be.
Over the course of a week, you can find yourself reading through complicated legal filings, poring over civil grand jury reports and bumping along dirt roads in the far reaches of the county with a botanist and naturalist.
This week, a water rights battle is making its way through the courts after Yolo County and the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency filed separate lawsuits against the California Department of Water Resources over plans to purchase $180 million worth of water rights from a farm near Knights Landing.
A Yolo County watchdog also came out with recommendations for county agencies after the deadly Esparto fireworks factory blast last summer.
And on Friday, visual journalist Shelley Ho and I took a tour of the wildflowers in Bear Valley with experts from Woodland based nonprofit Tuleyome. Shelley took some beautiful photos, I wrote a story and digital audience producer Jordan Mata put together a great social media video (coming soon. Follow us on Instagram!).
Needless to say, it was a good day at work.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Yolo County water worries hit the courts as officials allege DWR skirted environmental review
Concerns about groundwater are once again bubbling to the surface in Yolo County.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: Yolo County and the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Authority filed separate lawsuits against the California Department of Water Resources. The suits allege that DWR inappropriately skirted the state mandated environmental review process for a $180 million water rights transfer deal.
A bit more: The plaintiffs argued that the water transfer could have significant effects on the county’s already depleted groundwater aquifers.
AROUND YOLO COUNTY
The valley floor is carpeted with purple lupine and yellow tidy tips in the spring.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: Wildflowers in and around Yolo County are blooming for the next few months. But it already “looks earlier in the year” due to heat effects, one expert said. Bear Valley, which lies just north of Highway 20 in neighboring Colusa County, has a wildflower display that can be viewed from the comfort of the car.
A bit more: Tuleyome, a Woodland based non-profit, offers free wildflower tours of the valley and its surrounding hillsides.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Yolo County watchdog weighs in on Esparto fireworks explosion
What’s next for Bryte Park? West Sacramento plans to start construction this summer
Books, tacos and paddle boarding: How to spend a great day in Woodland
Thank you for reading Abridged. We are here and our stories are free because people like you donate to PBS KVIE to keep our Yolo County strong. Join in — start donating at $10/month to keep it coming.
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer, rancher or other industry player for the latest ag updates. What are the people who help produce our food thinking about?
This week, Alfred Melbourne, director of Three Sisters Gardens in West Sacramento is keeping us in the loop:
- The unexpected warm weather has pushed things along at Three Sisters, and winter crops are taking off. Carrots, collards and a lot of lettuce are ready to be harvested.
- There are 12 youth gardeners working at Three Sisters right now, and volunteer requests have been coming in steadily.
- Most of the food produced in the garden goes to community giving programs or making meals for youth participants. Right now, a temporary chef is making meals two days a week, with hopes to be back up to five days a week soon.
- Last year, Three Sisters produced 40,000 pounds of food, and Melbourne wants to get up to 50,000 this year.
- The gardens are preparing for a big transition to summer crops, including tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and flowers.
- Moving ahead, Melbourne is hoping Three Sisters Gardens can work with the city to get a longer-term lease on the land. As it is, the garden is on a month-to-month lease, which makes investing in the garden’s infrastructure difficult.
HEARING FROM YOU
The best way to learn about a place is to listen to the people who know and love it. Each week, we’ll feature a quote or tip from a community member that captures a slice of life in our county. Write to me with something interesting or ask a question about Yolo County!
This week, Glen Holstein and Nate Lillge gave us a tip on where to find roosting night herons right outside of Woodland.
📍If you’re heading west on Highway 16 approaching Madison, keep your eye out for a large eucalyptus tree on the left side of the road. When you find the tree and look closely, you’ll see sleeping black-crowned night herons. Unlike their counterparts that are active during the day, night herons forage the wetlands in the evening and at night, hence the name!
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and community events, so we’ll continuously feature a few below. Have something you think we should highlight? Email me.
- April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Yolo County Child Abuse Prevention Council is hosting a series of events. They include Wear Blue day on April 10, pinwheel and garden installations and a community art project with Yolo Arts. More information can be found here.
- The Davis Night Market, which distributes free food recovered from local restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores, is held every weeknight in Central Park from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. More information can be found here.
- California Duck Days, hosted by the Sacramento Audubon Society, is on April 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on County Road 32B just outside of Davis. The event will have “wetland themed arts and crafts, live animals, nature trail games, interactive exhibits, and much more.” More information can be found here.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
See you next week!
Daniel Hennessy joins Abridged from the California Local News Fellowship. He’s a reporter covering Yolo County.